Understand that this is not an entire list, but it does represent a diverse group of strong and talented women that can be admired and, hopefully, emulated in the future.
Madonna
Madonna has been a pop queen for almost 30 years and is recognized for pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable in the entertainment business for women. She was the third of six children and aspired to be a ballet dancer.
She arrived in New York with only $35 in her pocket before her first top-10 hit in 1984. She worked a few bad jobs along the road, including one at Dunkin’ Donuts, since she was determined to make it. She is still making popular music and redefining gender norms in the new millennium at the age of 60.
I’m tough, ambitious, and I’m certain of what I want. Okay, if that makes me a bitch.
J.K. Rowling
Joanne Rowling, the author of the world-famous Harry Potter novel series, amassed a near-billion-dollar fortune on the success of her characters. But that wasn’t always the case: she was broke when she started writing her bestselling series on the back of a napkin while on the train to London.
Rowling, who was awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire) by the Queen in 2001, now lives peacefully with her family and writes. She continues to secure her position as one of the finest female novelists of all time while dabbling in philanthropy.
Even in the darkest of times, happiness can be discovered if one remembers to turn on the light.
Virginia Woolf
Virginia Woolf was an outspoken advocate for women’s rights and is regarded as one of the most important novelists of the twentieth century. She was an outspoken anti-colonialist, and the themes of her writings attempted to counteract the time’s misogyny. She was an inspiration to creative women everywhere at a time when standing up as a feminist in a public position might be risky.
You can’t say the truth about other people if you don’t tell the truth about yourself.
Malala Yousafzai
She was a BBC blogger at the age of 12, survived a Taliban assassination at the age of 15, and became the youngest Nobel Laureate of all time at the age of 17. Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani human rights activist and an advocate for education. She has since become a well-known and popular philanthropist as well as a role model for young people in terms of peace and empowerment.
I think about it frequently and can vividly see the incident. Even if they come to kill me, I’ll tell them that what they’re trying to do is immoral and that education is a fundamental human right.
Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou is well known for her autobiography I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. She is a civil rights activist, poet, and performer. She has received more than 50 honorary degrees during her 50-year career in the creative arts.
She worked as a sex worker in her early years, and she was sexually abused by her mother’s lover. The man was slain after Angelou told her family about the experience, and she was mute for five years. These five years are thought to have shaped her remarkable mind, memory, and inventiveness. Her tale serves as an example to young women all across the world who have been victims of sexual assault and have gone on to construct wonderful lives despite it.
Hattie McDaniel
Hattie McDaniel, the first African American woman to win an Academy Award, did so in 1940. Unfortunately, because of the prejudice prevalent at the time, the sector was marred by scandal. Hattie and her bodyguard were not only had to be escorted to the awards and the hotel where the event was held but they were also required to sit at separate tables. She went on to inspire other African-American entertainers, and her legacy is still being honored nearly 80 years later.
To relieve the stress of our day, it is critical to set aside some time for pure fun and good humor.
Anne Frank
Anne Frank was a German-born Jew who became one of the most well-known Holocaust victims after a notebook she wrote while in hiding was published posthumously as The Diary of a Young Girl and became a major success.
The diary provides a raw and honest view of the lives of Jews in Nazi Germany, but what is most astonishing is her strength of character and incredible maturity for a little child at the time (just 13 when she started, and 15 at the end of her short life.) The necessity of women having a voice is a recurring theme in her entries.
Despite everything, I continue to believe that people are essentially good.
Serena Williams
Serena Williams, widely regarded as the best female tennis player (and possibly athlete) of all time, has emerged as a powerful advocate for women both on and off the court.
Despite a succession of media issues, significant injuries, racism, and discrimination, she and her sister Venus have dominated international tennis for over 15 years. She’s created a brand and a legacy for herself, and she genuinely represents what it is to be a powerful woman.
Setbacks, not successes, have helped me grow the most. If God’s reward is winning, then losing is how he teaches us.
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa, who was born in Macedonia in 1910 to Albanian-Indian parents, was an inspirational spiritual figure for more than 50 years. She created a Roman Catholic community that has grown to encompass 133 countries and has been operating since 1950.
The congregation has aided in the construction of schools and orphanages, as well as the management of houses for persons suffering from homelessness, HIV, leprosy, and tuberculosis. In 2016, 37 years after winning the Nobel Peace Prize, she was declared a saint. For decades to come, Mother Teresa will be a symbol of hope, peace, and compassion for people all around the world.
Let us always greet one other with a grin, for love begins with a smile.
Emma Watson
Since her appearance as Hermione in the Harry Potter film series, the English actress has built a strong brand centered on fashion, philanthropy, and feminism. Her work on women’s rights, which centered on boosting education for young girls and combating the media’s sexualization of young women.
She was named a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador in 2014, and she was also named one of TIME’s 100 most important people. In an industry rife with double standards and conformism, she’s the epitome of a positive pop-culture role model.
If you don’t enjoy what everyone else seems to like, don’t feel foolish.